


Flow

by Sifshoney



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Agnarr Ragnarsson, Brotherhood, Eirek Ragnarsson, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Mother-Son Relationship, Other, Ragnarssons - Freeform, RagnarxAslaug, The saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, The saga of the Volsungs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-29 03:28:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17800232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sifshoney/pseuds/Sifshoney
Summary: "For everyone, she was Queen Aslaug, or the shieldmaiden Randalín, and yet in his heart he still remembered as his father called her Kràka."





	Flow

When Björn woke up he could feel his mother’s hair tickling his nose, while he held her frail body that smelled like lavender. When he was a kid he loved to be held by her, her tickles and every little attention she reserved for him. He remembered her smile, as her hair shined to the sunlight as if it was actual gold.

Björn was a grown man now, and yet sometimes he still slept with his mother, just like he did when he was a little boy, seeking for warmth and love. His mother, by the other hand, didn’t age that much, but now her hair shined less, and her face was less serene. For everyone, she was Queen Aslaug, or the shieldmaiden Randalín, and yet in his heart he still remembered as his father called her Kràka. Sometimes, Ragnar still called her like that, teasing her lightly, and Björn smiled because to him those were the best years. He missed Eirek and Agnarr, and now with time he knew avenging them was the right choice, even though he didn’t even know what that meant.

He just felt it.

“Good morning, my boy” Aslaug moved, trying not to wake little Sigurd who was sleeping right beside her, now facing her older son.

Björn smiled and kissed her forehead “How did you sleep mother?”

“Very well, I dare say. But I feel your heart and mind are heavy, Björn, what is it?”

He sighed. Sometimes he felt like his mother could read his thoughts, as if she actually knew everything about him and his brothers and there was nothing they could really hide from her.

“It’s nothing, mother, I… I guess sometimes I like to dwell in the past, and think of my brothers. All of them” he tried to articulate his feelings, but that answer was empty confronted to his actual feelings. He felt like parts of his heart were missing, and sometimes they bled so profusely that nothing could stop the flow.

“I think about them too. I know. Especially now that your father wants to go to England, I… I fear the outcome of such deed” he felt his mother’s voice cracking, to the weight of her own fears. She wasn’t crying, he never saw her do that, but he could feel she had strong emotions thinking about Ragnar’s sail.

“I understand. Sometimes father gets these rushes to do things, but I wouldn’t worry, he will probably forget about it!”

He actually didn’t know his father’s true intentions, but he was saying the truth. He truly believed his father wouldn’t have dwelled too much on that fantasy.

His mother didn’t answer, just sighed and looked at him smiling. He soon felt like everything was alright again, as if that smile could have fixed all the wrong things that happened in the world.

“You look much like him” she teased him, and his smile transformed in a light chuckle.

“And your father” he added, and she repeated “And my father”.

“Do you remember any of them? Sigurd and Brynhild?” he lied his head on the pillows, curiously looking at her.

“Sometimes I have vague memories of my mother, even of Heimir, but… I don’t think I ever met my father or his children. I know Svanhild and Sigurd were alive by the time I met your father, but then they died. I never knew them, but I mourn them nonetheless” she answered, forcing herself to gather all those memories time tried to wash away.

“How was she? Do you look much like her?” he asked again.

“Well, Heimir said I had her beauty, her smile and her eyes. But I have my father’s hard traits, his hair and his temper” Aslaug smiled, and he smiled back at her.

“And what do you remember of her?”

Aslaug closed her eyes, and then opened them again “they are vague memories, and maybe they are influenced by Heimir’s words, but… I do remember she had blonde hair, and that she used to braid them. I also remember she wore a great belt, and that she was always happy and good to me, but to others she could be very harsh. She had very bright and beautiful jewels, and I loved to play with them”.

Björn looked at her, and tried to picture how his grandmother could have looked. Someone like his mother, with gentler traits and a fierce look.

“Do you ever… miss her? Or miss your father?” He dared to ask what he never did, and Aslaug looked at him, as if she was wondering how could she answer to that.

“I… I don’t know, actually. I think I do miss her, I can’t say much of my father though. And even missing is a daring word, because I spent such little time with her that I don’t know if I have any rights to claim I miss her”

Björn was surprised of his mother’s honesty, but he couldn’t know what it meant for her. Maybe she actually missed them, or maybe she didn’t have enough memories to do so. Nonetheless, he thought his mother had every right to miss her parents, knowing them or not, and that she shouldn’t have felt the need of any right for doing so.

“And your siblings? Do you wish you could have met them?” he asked again, and she nodded “Sometimes, but I know their mother wouldn’t have let me, so I brush away that idea quickly”.

“Have you ever met her?”

“Oh yes, I did. But only once, and she was already married to my father”.

Björn wondered what it felt for her, to know everything of her parents without actually knowing them. He knew his parents through their words, but she had to rely on the sagas, the skalds and those who knew them when they were alive. She only knew others’ perspectives, but never their own.

“I am sure they both look upon you, upon us. They must be proud!” he raised his voice, passionate of the idea of having his grandparents’ approval"

“They probably are, you are all proving yourselves worthy of their approval and pride” she nodded at her own words, sure of them. If anyone deserved her parents’ pride besides her, it should be her sons.

“I am glad then. To me your judgement is of great value, mother” he said, smiling. There was nothing to him more valuable than his parents’ opinion, and everything they said was like gold to him.

“And there is nothing like you and your siblings to me, Björn. Nothing. You are all my little boys and girls, even now that you are men and women!” she smiled back at him, stroking Sigurd’s hair.

“I am glad, I too feel like I am a just a boy when I am with you and father. I know Ivar does too, and likes it despite saying the contrary” he giggled.

“Ivar is wise, always remember that. You are the warrior and he is the mind, you should always stick together and good things will come out of such union!” Aslaug reminded him seriously, with the love of a mother in her voice. She was always concerned, and always reminded them to never leave the other’s side. Especially after Rognvald’s death.

“We always stick together, mother, I promise. We all do”.

He was sure of that. Not even a spell would have made him leave his brothers’ sides. There was nothing on earth that could taken him away from them, or make him disrespect Ivar.

“That is good, Björn, the Gods will smile upon you all, and I want you to embrace the glory together. Me and your father love you, remember that always”

“You never fail to remind us, mother” he answered, and his heart felt lighter than a feather. With his parents he felt free, even more than he felt in the battlefield.

“It’s time for me to rest again, Björn, but you should go and wake up your brothers. I will stay here with Sigurd and then we will join you all. Take care, my boy”, she kissed his hand and forehead, and then he got up.

“I will, mother” he smiled again and kissed her forehead back, leaving right after the room. His heart was healed, and the blood was still. He felt happy.


End file.
